Battle of the Bands rocks the PUB

Local indie rock group Crickets of Cascadia rose above the competition and wowed the judges, winning the 2010 Battle of the Bands hosted by Eagle Entertainment.

With influences from bands like Kings of Leon and Phoenix, Crickets of Cascadia performed a solid set of three songs all with their own original sound last Thursday in the PUB MPR.

Following pop/rock group Arcadia is Burning, Crickets of Cascadia was second to perform that night. Following them was metal/rock group Fallen Regiment and rap duo Mic Taita and A-Hop.

“The other bands were all really good. We weren’t sure we were going to win,” said Scott Tarbutton, bassist for Crickets of Cascadia.

Fallen Regiment was announced runner-up after an intense set of double bass pedals on the drums, finger-tapping on the guitar and vocals performed with a megaphone.
According to Tarbutton, all the music that night was “pretty impressive.” Mic Taita and A-Hop in particular “had some solid beats,” he said

The first three groups to perform were all in the genre of rock ’n’ roll.  But when Mic Taita and A-hop came out, they brought a stage presence unmatched by the other performers.
“Hip-hop isn’t really taken seriously in our region,” said Mic Montgomery (Mic Taita). “For us to have this opportunity is a major victory for our genre.”

The atmosphere in the PUB MPR wasn’t that of a typical concert. For the most part, members of the audience were seated, and no dancing took place. Mic Taita and A-Hop successfully managed to get most people out of their seats and grooving to their music.
“No one does what we do, how we do it,” said Montgomery. “We wanted the audience to feel our vibe and our energy.”

Mic Taita and A-Hop may have brought the show to a close with lyrical skill and smooth beats, but Arcadia is Burning got things started with catchy pop sounds and songs the front-man described as “very emotional.” They ended with a fun and simple song titled,

“The Turtle and the Duck,” which lightened the mood.

Once all performers finished their sets, the five judges discussed who should win the $100 grand prize and a opening spot for one of the bands in the Eagle Entertainment spring concert series.

Crickets of Cascadia now have to consider what band they would like to open for.
According to Tarbutton, they would like to choose “someone who matches our genre [but] may consider some pop bands too.”

This year’s Battle of the Bands came with an impressive amount of talent, good organization and ample accommodations for audience members. Let us hope that we can look forward to more bands, longer sets and greater audience involvement next year.